This invention relates to cargo and material handlers and, in particular, to a transport for moving and loading an auxiliary fuel tank into an aircraft, e.g. a helicopter.
Auxiliary fuel tanks have long been used to extend the range of a helicopter and other aircraft or to provide refueling capability at a remote location. Depending upon the size and type of helicopter, auxiliary fuel tanks have been located in pods outside the helicopter, under seats, in cargo bays, and elsewhere. For some applications, such as surveillance or patrol, an added fuel tank may be an essentially permanent installation. For rescue, or other operations, it is desirable that an auxiliary fuel tank be easily installed or removed in order to re-configure a helicopter as quickly as possible; e.g. in ten minutes or less.
A problem with many of these installations is simply handling an empty auxiliary fuel tank, which can weigh two hundred twenty-five pounds or more and is physically large and hard to grasp. After initial use, an auxiliary fuel tank will weigh even more because the fuel cannot be removed completely from the tank using the internal pump. Lifting an auxiliary fuel tank into the magazine bay of a helicopter, or removing the tank from the bay, has typically been done by hand. A suitable lifting mechanism has not been found having sufficient lift range and sufficient dexterity to locate the tank properly in the bay. By dexterity is meant the ability to tilt the tank to match the tilt of the airframe relative to the ground, which is necessary to properly locate the tank in the aircraft.
Transporting an auxiliary fuel tank or an ammunition magazine to or from an aircraft is not particularly difficult. The difficulty comes when the tank or magazine must be loaded through the belly of the aircraft. The clearance between the fuselage and ground is often less than the height of the tank on a carrier. Typically, the tank is removed from the carrier, positioned under the aircraft by hand, and then raised into position by hand. The entire operation is not as safe as it could be for the personnel handling the tank and may cause damage to the tank itself.
In view of the foregoing, it is therefore an object of the invention to provide a transport that can lift an auxiliary fuel tank completely into the belly of an aircraft.
Another object of the invention is to provide a transport that can position an auxiliary fuel tank directly underneath an awaiting aircraft.
A further object of the invention is to provide a transport that can tilt an auxiliary fuel tank a magazine while lifting the tank into an aircraft.